 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
Cowboys & Aliens
- Review Date: July 29, 2011
- PG-13
- Genre: Action/Adventure
- 2011
Common Sense Media says
Cool but predictable sci-fi Western has lots of violence.
Parents say
QUALITY
Kids say
QUALITY
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that this Western/sci-fi hybrid will definitely appeal to boys and fans of the two stars -- the new Bond (Daniel Craig) and the former Indy (Harrison Ford) -- but there are some violent scenes that may be too intense for tweens. Although it's light on romance -- just a couple of kisses and a few references to a prostitute -- the movie is heavy with explosive action (shootings, stabbings, and gruesome aliens) and has a high body count. Language includes words like "s--t" and "damn," and alcohol consumption is fairly high, considering that the cowboys spend most of their downtime drinking in a saloon. Despite a generally positive message about people banding together to fight a common enemy, the movie's violence can be overwhelming.
What's the story?
Based on Scott Mitchell Rosenberg's graphic novel, COWBOYS & ALIENS opens with an unnamed man (Daniel Craig) sitting in the desert with a mysterious bracelet cuffed to his wrist. After felling three men who think he's good for bounty, the lone cowboy appears in a sleepy 19th-century Arizona town, where he encounters a kind preacher (Clancy Brown) and enrages Percy (Paul Dano), a drunken bully who's the son of local cattleman Col. Dolarhyde (Harrison Ford). When the local sheriff (Keith Carradine) discovers that Craig is actually Jake Lonergan, a wanted criminal, he arrests him. Then aliens attack the town and kidnap many residents -- including Percy, the sheriff, and the saloon owner's wife. To stop the invasion, Jake teams up with Dolarhyde; his Native American deputy, Nat (Adam Beach); the sheriff's grandson, Emmett (Noah Ringer); Doc (Sam Rockwell), the barman; and Ella (Olivia Wilde), a beautiful, gun-toting woman who knows more about the aliens than anyone else.
Is it any good?
Craig buzzes with a simmering intensity that can turn into a swashbuckling boil at any moment. With his sharp features and broad shoulders, he transforms from brooding loner into a relentless warrior every single time he's threatened -- from the opening scene to the last alien he dispatches. But as promising as the movie starts -- with Craig's amnesiac, wounded gunslinger stealing clothes (including tight-fitting leather chaps) off his rivals and galloping into town -- the middle is a muddle of alien carnage and incomplete plot development that leaves you dissatisfied no matter how exciting it is to watch Craig and Ford share the screen.
Ford, no longer dashing and young, is now the perfect curmudgeon; his Dolarhyde is a meanie with a soft spot for his ne'er-do-well son. Beach is earnest as Ford's underappreciated charge-turned-employee, but the Native American subplot in the second half feels a bit Dances with Wolves without any heart. Wilde is appropriately gorgeous as the enigmatic Ella, but her romance with Jake is far too predictable. If director Jon Favreau had paid as much attention to the story as he did the fighting sequences, Cowboys & Aliens could have been a milestone instead of just another passably cool summer movie.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about the merging of the two genres. Which aspect worked better -- the Western or the sci-fi parts?
How was the violence handled in the movie? Was there too much, or was it necessary to the story?
When you see actors in a movie, do you think about the other parts they've played in the past? How does that affect the way you react to them and their actions?
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Kid, 11 years old
July 30, 2011
AGE
Cowboys And Aliens
On: 13-17. Pause: 12. Off: 2-11
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Kid, 12 years old
July 31, 2011
AGE
really!!!!!!!!
Hello!!! There is an 11 year old here!! I saw the movie thats not age appropriate to you!!! Ok, heres what I thought when i was sitting down watching the previews," This is a PG-13, how violent can it be?" And that's excactly what i came out saying. Sure the aliens were frightening to little kids and a little more violent than most pg-13s but "Limitless"(if you've seen it) has a tone more violence in one scene than "Cowboys and Aliens" has in the entire movie! And the implied nude scene, there was one like that in "Just Go With It" but I didn't here all the fuss that you guys are giving it here than you did with "Just Go With It"? So stop focusing on the negatives and focus on the positives, the aliens look soooooooo cool!!!!!!!!
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AGE
Not for kids!
Not for kids. WAY too violent! I know it's "PG 13" but so is Harry Potter and Capt. America; both of which had FAR, FAR less violence than this movie. We had kids age 10 and 8 with us and we actually left the movie an hour in it was so awful. Should be rated an "R".
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AGE
Fun Summer Stuff
Surprised how much fun it was. Watching Graig and Ford was a real treat. Just a good old fun Summer movie. Enjoy!
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AGE
Great movie but violent!
Wow! It was actually pretty awesome and touching! I liked how they mixed the two genres. At first, I thought it would be weird or awkward, but it actually made a good plot. However, I have to honestly say that this movie is a bit violent in a brutal/gross way. I wouldn't recommend this for children under 13, honestly because it is pretty violent. Nonetheless, a great movie with a great message and storyline!
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AGE
Very Violent!
Violent and gory, but great movie with a good cast!
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AGE
Not A Bad Movie,But A Little Raunchy In Some Scenes
Not A Bad Movie Parents,Just The Scene Where The Girl Is Naked,But You Can Get A Thought She Is Naked,But It Doesn't Show Anything.The Language Is A Issue.Some F-Words,And A Couple Of S-Words And 2 H-Words.
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AGE
Really fun and great movie!
This movie is a very strange mix between Sci-fi and Western. It was alot of fun, but there is alot of violence. Blood is involved a times, but there is so much going on in the film, you dont pay attention. Overall, it was an awesome film, but there is too much violence.
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AGE
(Warning: possible spoilers) Not "Independence Day on Horseback"
My 9-yr.-old likes action and has an appetite for tough-guy violence (I have to put on the brakes for him), but this was so graphic, I will not let him see it now.
The tenor of the film on the whole was rough-edged; not too much tenderness amid the slaughter of and by aliens. Complicated father-son, man-God, "business"-partner, husband-wife, child-guardian relationships. Coercion through violence or deceit is the most common manner of interaction in much of the film. As CS wrote above, there is a lot of drinking and drunkenness.
Graphic depiction of guns, spears used to kill, etc, Men have their throats torn open by aliens. A man sees his wife disintegrate. The opening scene mentioned above also included two shots of evidently-fresh human scalp "trophies", presumably Native American.
On the positive side, the setting was beautiful (esp. on the Big Screen) and several characters and their relationships were intriguing, as was the concept of aliens visiting an earlier version of Earth. I also appreciated the way the Apache Indians were portrayed with depth and empathy beyond the usual two-dimensional Euro-victim handling, though that is cold comfort knowing what would have happened prior to the time in which the film is set as well as what was to follow. But these aspects of the film are rather for appreciation by adults (or mature teenagers).
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AGE
Actually pretty good. A little violent for a PG-13 sometimes.
My rating: PG-13 [borderline with R] for frequent and intense sequences of sci-fi action and violence, some western-related combat, a brief scene of partial nudity, some strong language, and for alcohol use.
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| Studio: | Universal Studios |
| Director: | Jon Favreau |
| Cast: | Daniel Craig, Harrison Ford, Olivia Wilde |
| Genre: | Action/Adventure |
| Run time: | 118 minutes |
| Theatrical release date: | July 29, 2011 |
| DVD release date: | December 6, 2011 |
| MPAA rating: | PG-13 |
| MPAA explanation: | intense sequences of western and sci-fi action and violence, some partial nudity and a brief crude reference |
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